Amazon’s Great Holiday Climb

During the past three holiday seasons, Amazon’s Great Holiday Climb Roblox game has racked up more than 20 million visits. But what started as a Roblox experience suitable for all ages (when it debuted as Amazon’s Holiday Dash) has evolved into an advergame that appropriately restricts access to players ages 13 and older.

However, some teens may find themselves blocked from participating in one of the game’s featured activities – shopping Amazon’s Top Holiday Gifts Shop.

That’s because while the game funnels players to the gift shop, which contains a number of toys that can be purchased on Amazon, Amazon’s conditions of use state that children under 18 may only use its services “with the involvement of a parent or guardian.” In order to make a purchase in the game, players must sign into an Amazon account.

As players are led to the gift shop – including through in-game challenges that are modeled after toys sold in the gift shop like a DJ Furby – there are no disclosures regarding the minimum age requirements to purchase products on Amazon. Meanwhile, the game’s description simply states that, “Purchases of IRL items are subject to the Amazon conditions of use.”

This puts pressure on parents, whose refusal to cave to a child’s purchase demand “can lead to family conflicts and cause tension in family relationships,” according to an analysis of the effect of advergames on children.

Neither Amazon nor Roblox responded to our request for comment.

TINA.org is no stranger to immersive advertising experiences (aka advergames) aimed at minors on Roblox.

In 2022, we filed a complaint with the FTC concerning Roblox and a number of companies in the Roblox metaverse after an investigation found that the platform allows advertising to be surreptitiously interlaced with organic content in a multitude of ways.

Find more of our coverage on Roblox.